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The best promotional counter for sampling depends on where you are handing samples out. In a supermarket, I would pick a counter with a header panel, because shoppers need to spot your brand from down the aisle. In a shop, pick a compact curved counter with internal storage behind it, and at an exhibition, pick a wide worktop with a shelf inside for your stock.
Whichever you choose, you want enough worktop for the tasting cups, somewhere to hide spare stock, a surface you can keep clean and a printed graphic that says who you are. These are all portable counters that pack into a bag or case between events. All the figures below come from our own product pages, and prices are ex VAT, checked on 8 November 2026.
Promotional display counters compared
The Counta with header is the strongest pick for in-store demos, the Basics curved counter suits shops and pop-up retail, and the Hop-up fabric pop-up counter gives the most worktop at a show. Here is how the main options in our range compare.
| Counter | Size and features | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Counta with header, from £229.95 ex VAT | Counta: 810mm wide, 2.08m tall with header, worktop 860mm, rear shelf, wipe-clean PVC | Best for supermarket demos and moving from store to store |
| Basics curved counter, from £258.95 ex VAT | Basics curved: 900mm wide, 926mm high, 11.8kg, rear opening for storage | Best for a shop or a pop-up shop |
| Hop-up fabric pop-up counter, from £332.95 ex VAT | Hop-up: 1060mm wide, 1020mm high, 7.4kg, shelf inside, wheeled bag | Best for tastings at trade shows |
| Formulate oval fabric counter, from £262.95 ex VAT | Formulate oval: 565mm wide, 1020mm high, 6.5kg, top takes 50kg | Best for a tight spot in a shop or on a small stand |
| WaveLine flat-pack S counter, from £159.95 ex VAT | WaveLine S: 711mm wide, 990mm high, fabric graphic, lifetime hardware warranty | Best for a first event on a small budget |
If you are not sure yet, think about where most of your product sampling will happen and how you get the counter there. A field team doing a different store each day needs a light portable promotional counter that is easy to transport. A brand doing a few big events and exhibitions a year can carry a bit more weight in return for a wider worktop.
The best promotional counter for supermarkets
The best promotional counter for supermarkets is one with a header panel, and in our range that is the Counta promotional demo counter with header. Its header puts your brand above head height, at 2.08m overall, so shoppers can find you from the end of the aisle rather than only when they walk past. It works as a focal point in a busy store, and the counter below it is a simple display counter with a worktop and a shelf.
The counter itself is 810mm wide and 470mm deep, which fits the narrow spots stores usually give a demo. The worktop is 860mm high, a comfortable height for handing a sample across, and there is a shelf at the back for spare stock, cups and your bag. It is made from white PVC, and the smooth surface wipes clean between sessions, which helps when you are serving food and drink.
It also suits a team that moves from store to store. Tool-free assembly means the parts push together by hand, and the whole unit flat-packs into the carry bag supplied. Your design is printed on self-adhesive vinyl for the header and the base, with the base wrapping the front and both sides. One thing to know is that the base graphic stops at the two front corner folds, so a narrow white line shows down each corner.
Before you book a supermarket promotion, check with the store what space you will get and what they allow you to serve. Store rules differ, and the size of the spot decides whether a counter this wide will fit.
Best for a counter with a header: supermarket and in-store promotion, where being seen from a distance matters more than a big worktop.
The best promotional counter for a shop
The best promotional counter for a shop is a compact curved counter with storage behind it, such as our Basics curved promotional counter. It is 900mm wide and 926mm high, which looks tidy in retail environments and gives you a usable worktop without taking over the floor.
The opening at the back gives you room inside for spare stock, napkins, tablets and bags, out of sight of customers, and you can add an internal shelf if you want to organise it. The printed graphic is PVC-free polyester fixed with hook and loop, so you can change the graphic for a new campaign and keep the counter. It weighs 11.8kg, packs into two bags, and the top and base come in beech, black and white, or black and beech.
If the shop gives you very little floor, go smaller. The Formulate oval fabric counter is only 565mm wide and 397mm deep, weighs 6.5kg, and its black top takes up to 50kg spread evenly. Its printed fabric wraps the whole oval, so customers see your brand from any angle, and the fabric is washable. Our Formulate round display table is another neat spot for a tasting or a product display, 600mm across and 1m high at 4.8kg, though it has no storage inside.
Best for a curved counter with storage: a pop-up shop, a shopping centre or a store where you need to keep stock behind you. Best for an oval counter: a tight corner of a shop where floor space is the main limit.
The best exhibition counter for sampling on a trade show stand
The best exhibition counter for sampling on a trade show stand is one with a wide worktop and a shelf, and the Hop-up fabric pop-up counter is the one I would choose. At 1060mm wide it gives you the most worktop of the counters here, so you can lay out a row of tasting cups and still have room to talk to people.
It has a beech-effect top and a clear shelf inside for storage. The folding frame opens in seconds with plastic locking arms and no tools, and your display graphics stay on the frame when you fold it away, so the next set-up is quicker. It weighs 7.4kg and goes into a wheeled bag, which helps on a long walk from the car park at the bigger exhibition centres.
The Basics curved counter also works well on an exhibition stand if you want a smaller desk with storage behind it. On a tight budget, the WaveLine flat-pack S at £159.95 is our lowest priced option here, with a fabric graphic and a lifetime warranty on the hardware. It is 711mm wide, so it suits leaflets and a few samples rather than a full tasting spread. Whichever you pick, stand it at the front of your exhibition display, where people walking the aisle can reach it.
If you want the counter itself to glow, our WaveLight Air inflatable backlit counters are made for things like product launches and tastings. The medium circular one is 600mm across and 970mm high, from £314.95 ex VAT, and it inflates in under 15 seconds, but it needs a power socket on your stand. My guide to illuminated vs standard exhibition counters goes into that choice.
Best for a wide fabric pop-up counter: trade shows and exhibitions, where you need worktop space and a shelf. Best for a flat-pack counter: a first show or an occasional event on a small budget.
What to look for in sampling counters for food
For food, look at the worktop, the storage and the surface before you look at anything else. A counter that looks good but has nowhere to put the next tray gets cluttered within an hour.
- Worktop width. Work out how many cups or plates you want out at once. The Hop-up gives 1060mm, the Basics 900mm and the Counta 810mm.
- Storage behind the counter. A shelf or rear opening keeps spare stock, napkins and bins out of sight. The Counta, Basics and Hop-up all have one.
- A surface you can keep clean. The Counta has a wipe-clean PVC surface, and the fabric covers on our oval counter and round table can be washed.
- Branding at the right height. A header panel helps in a supermarket aisle. At a show, the print on the front of the counter is usually enough.
- Carrying and set-up. The Counta, Basics, Hop-up and Formulate counters all go together without tools and are made for indoor use. Check the weight and the bag if one person will be doing it alone.
If you are serving food, also check what the store or the event organiser asks of food exhibitors, as that can affect what you need on and around the counter.
Printed graphic and artwork for a branded counter
Every counter here comes with a full colour printed graphic, but the material changes how you look after it and how easily you can change it. Pick a graphic you can swap if you run different campaigns through the year.
The Counta uses printed self-adhesive vinyl on the base and header, fitted to the unit. The Basics graphic wrap is PVC-free polyester printed with water-based latex inks, and it comes off with hook and loop. The Hop-up, Formulate oval and WaveLine counters use a stretch fabric graphic, and on the oval and round table the fabric can go in the wash. Every order includes FREE artwork design or proofing, so send us your artwork and we will check it before print, or our design team will create it for you. Our artwork guidelines cover the file setup.
Which promotional counter should you buy
Choose on where you will use it most and how you travel. These are the rules I would use.
- Choose the Counta with header if you mainly work in supermarkets or move from store to store.
- Choose the Basics curved counter for shops and pop-up shops where you need stock out of sight.
- Choose the Formulate oval or the round display table if floor space is tight.
- Choose the Hop-up fabric pop-up counter for trade shows where you need the most worktop.
- Choose a WaveLine flat-pack counter if budget is the main thing.
You can compare every model in our promotional counters range, and if you are torn between a folding frame and fabric counters, see my guide to pop up counter vs fabric counter. If you are still not sure which suits your promotional events, get in touch and we will help you choose.
How we compared
This is a desk comparison of published product data, not a hands-on test. On 8 November 2026 we read the live product pages for every counter named here and took the sizes, weights, top loads, storage, graphic materials and set-up details as listed on each page. Prices are ex VAT on that date, and the diagram is drawn from the same published sizes.
Frequently asked questions
Which promotional counter is best for food and drink?
In a supermarket, the Counta with header is our pick, as its PVC surface wipes clean and its rear shelf holds spare stock. At a trade show, the Hop-up gives a 1060mm worktop for laying out tasting cups and has a shelf inside, and it packs into a wheeled bag.
Can promotional counters store products or equipment?
Most can. The Counta has a rear shelf, the Basics curved counter has an opening at the back with room for stock and bags, and the Hop-up has a clear shelf inside. The Formulate oval and round display table have no storage, though the oval top takes up to 50kg.
Can the graphic on a counter be changed?
Yes, on most of them. The Basics wrap fixes with hook and loop and the Hop-up graphic attaches the same way, so you can swap in a new design for a campaign and keep the counter. The Counta uses self-adhesive vinyl fitted to the unit, which is better kept for one design.
Do promotional counters need tools to put together?
No, not the ones we recommend here. The Counta and Basics push together by hand, the Hop-up folding frame opens in seconds with locking arms, and the Formulate counters use push-fit aluminium tubes. On the Counta, one person can have it ready in minutes.
